Champions League quarter-finals: Salah heads to Paris, Real Madrid and Bayern meet again
Salah's final Champions League campaign with Liverpool takes him to the Parc des Princes on Wednesday, April 8, in a tie loaded with storylines. He hit his 50th Champions League goal during the last-16 victory over Galatasaray and has looked as sharp as ever in what everyone now knows is his farewell season at Anfield. Liverpool head to Paris with genuine belief they can reach the semi-finals.
PSG vs Liverpool is the tie of the round
PSG won the Champions League last season under Luis Enrique, hammering Inter Milan 5-0 in the final. They are a different animal at home in Europe, and the Parc des Princes will be hostile. Liverpool and PSG last met in the 2018-19 group stage, splitting the results: Liverpool won 3-2 at Anfield, PSG took it 2-1 in Paris. This knockout meeting is a step up from anything they have faced before against each other.
For Liverpool, the question is what happens after Salah leaves. The club have been linked with Yan Diomande from RB Leipzig, Michael Olise from Bayern and even Iliman Ndiaye from Everton as potential replacements. But that is a problem for the summer. Right now, Salah wants to make these final European nights count.
Real Madrid vs Bayern Munich: a rivalry that never gets old
The other Tuesday tie sends Bayern to the Santiago Bernabeu, a fixture that has produced some of the most dramatic Champions League moments in the competition's history. Real Madrid dominated Manchester City in the last 16, where Federico Valverde's first-half hat-trick in the first leg proved decisive. Bayern, meanwhile, dismantled Atalanta 10-2 on aggregate to cruise through.
Both clubs have spent decades owning this competition. Meeting in the quarter-finals feels almost routine for them, which makes it no less compelling.
Arsenal face their lightest draw, and that is dangerous
Arsenal were handed Sporting CP in the draw and will fancy their chances of reaching a second consecutive Champions League semi-final. The first leg is in Lisbon on Tuesday, April 7. Sporting have been impressive in Portugal, but the gap in squad depth between the two sides is significant. The danger for Arsenal is complacency.
Mikel Arteta's side are nine points clear at the top of the Premier League and are still alive in the FA Cup. A deep European run alongside a title push would be some achievement. But European knockout football has a habit of punishing English clubs who assume the hard part is over before it starts.
Barcelona and Atletico play out an all-Spanish affair
The final quarter-final pits Barcelona against Atletico Madrid, starting at Camp Nou on Wednesday, April 8. Barcelona hammered Newcastle 7-2 in the last 16, while Atletico reached this stage after a wild 7-5 aggregate win over Tottenham. Diego Simeone warned before the Spurs tie that Premier League pace would test his side, and the second leg at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium was uncomfortable, but the 5-2 first-leg cushion did the job.
Barcelona, with Raphinha and Lamine Yamal in devastating form, will be favourites. But Atletico in a knockout tie under Simeone are never easy to put away.
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